It’s been well over a year since we all packed up our cubicles and made virtual work the creature of habit in our routines -- and our leggings and sweatpants entered coveted spots in our wardrobe rotations.
In late March and early April 2020, I found it difficult to part with my makeup regimen during the week. It felt like a cling to normalcy by putting on a full face each day only to sit in front of my laptop and utilize the Touch Up Appearance feature on Zoom.
As time went on, though, my motivation to look presentable in the ways I ordinarily would waned significantly. A quick splash of water on my face when I woke up seemed to suffice. My makeup bag became buried behind cleaning products and spare rolls of toilet paper under the sink.
Of course, everyone has their own distinct style when it comes to fashion and beauty -- and there’s an ever-present thread of optimism in all of our post-quarantine mood boards.
With a hopeful heart, I am preparing to say goodbye to the leggings, sweatshirts, top knots and undone faces of Zoom and hello to the dressing up of in-person office life.
But there’s one thing I’m simply not willing to part with: the no-makeup, makeup look.
Work-from-home life has provided the flexibility to change up my skincare routine, and additional time to primp and preen as I get ready for my day each morning. I’ve fallen in love with the ability to swipe my TGM powders onto my face to reveal an effortless glow that feels like nothing. Even if it’s just to catch myself in the mirror every few hours and think: you look good.
Among my friends, we’ve all come to the same consensus: the elevated, easygoing, natural makeup look is definitely in. In the past year, too, I’ve come to appreciate my natural beauty in a way that I never did. I rarely went for a minimalist look before COVID, but now it’s all I ever want. Layers of gunk, clumpy mascara, discoloration, and the next-day irritation? See you later, sweetie.
Admittedly, in a pre-COVID world, I did cake layers of sticky, thick, liquid foundation onto my face only for it to melt off in the heat of the New York subway during the summer or running between a lunchtime team workout to an afternoon meeting.
It’s for this reason why I’ve felt wary about what my beauty routine will look like when spending my weekdays in the office is routine again.
“Skinminimalism,” famously coined by Pinterest, is all about embracing your natural skin and super-minimal makeup, which makes sense given many of us have worn less makeup and spent more time on our skincare than ever before.
Efficiency is key, natural coverage is necessary, and clean ingredients are preferred. It’s why I know that even while it’s anticipated to be gradual, I won’t be able to head back into the office without my TGM lineup in tote.
Sarah wears
Loves-You-Back 3in1 Powder Foundation in Beige 2
TGM Bronzer 1
Blush Boost in Mellow Melon
